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Termini
Imerese
40km
(25 miles) E of Palermo.
Termini Imerese consists of two distinct sections the
Termini Bassa (Lower Termini)
and Termini Alta (Upper
Termini). The town has been long
known for its Thermal springs and
these are located in the upper
town. The lower town is the centre
for the cities transportation. It
was enclosed by fortified walls in
the middle Ages, but modernization
and the slow industrialization
that followed the Second World
War, have destroyed whatever charm
the city did have. The spas are
the tourist’s main attraction,
and though many of them use the
city only as a base of operations,
it does have a few treasures of
its own.
Cáccamo,
to the south, is one of the
island's largest and most
magnificent citadels, and Himera,
to the east, is the site of the
ruins of a seventh century B.C.
Greek settlement. For the avid
culture tourist both Cáccamo and
Himera would be of more interest
than Termini Imerese itself. The
name or the city also denotes the
importance of its springs, as it
comes from Latin and means “Hot
Springs of Himera." Tourists
have been coming from the time of
the Romans to bathe in these
waters, and one among these was
the Greek poet Pindar. There are
many legends about the springs,
one that was circulated by
Diodorus claimed that the springs
were created by three nymphs and
that Hercules was the first to
enjoy the baths.
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